David Brooker Fine Art

F. Walters (British, 19th Century) Cottage Landscape with Figures and Pond Oil on canvas, signed lower left English School, circa 1880 Presented in an ornate 19th-century carved and gilded frame This serene and expansive rural landscape by 19th-century British artist F. Walters captures the gentle charm of the English country...

English School Farmyard Scene with Horses and Goat Oil on panel, unsigned The Circle of John Frederick Herring Sr. Circa 1880 Presented in a later gilt and painted frame This finely rendered 19th-century English farmyard scene captures the quiet dignity of rural life, with a group of three horses—white, chestnut, and black—gathered beneath a tree in the warm light of late afternoon. A small goat stands to one side near a rustic stable, adding a note of charming domesticity to the composition. The surrounding landscape, with its distant hills and careful play of shadow and cloud, speaks to the artist’s sensitivity to atmosphere and detail. Though unsigned, the painting is executed in a manner closely aligned with the work of John Frederick Herring Senior, one of Britain’s most celebrated animal painters of the Victorian era. The careful modelling of the horses, their distinctive postures and anatomy, and the tranquil farm setting are all hallmarks of Herring’s influence. Painted in oils on a wooden panel, the surface retains a fine, even gloss and a warm palette typical of the period. The composition is both balanced and lyrical: the interplay of form and gesture among the animals invites the viewer into a moment of repose between work and activity, emblematic of Victorian ideals of harmony between man, beast, and the land. A delightful example of 19th-century English rural painting...

William Henry Williamson (British, fl. mid to late 19th Century) Fishing Boats off the English Coast Oil on canvas, signed lower left Circa 1870–80 Presented in a period gilt frame ...

Attributed to Edwin Loder (British, fl. mid–late 19th Century) Mother Dog and Puppies in a Stable Interior Oil on canvas, unsigned English School, circa 1880 Presented in a period-st...

Vincent Clare (British, 1855–1930) Still Life of Fruit on a Mossy Bank Oil on canvas, signed lower right Circa 1870 Presented in a richly carved and gilded 19th-century style frame ...

Samuel Henry Alken (1810–1894) Horse Racing Scene, Possibly the Epsom Derby Oil on board, unsigned Attributed, English school circa 1840 Presented in a later gilt frame with beaded inner edge This dynamic mid-19th century racing scene, attributed to Samuel Henry Alken—also known as Henry Alken Junior—captures the high-stakes moment just before the thundering release of horses and riders at the starting line. A tightly packed field of brightly jacketed jockeys leans forward with urgent anticipation, the taut muscles of their mounts echoing the gathering tension. In the foreground, a race marshal gestures dramatically to signal the start, his stance underscoring the energy about to be unleashed. Though unsigned, the work bears the unmistakable hallmarks of Samuel Henry Alken’s hand: vigorous composition, attention to equine form, and a sharp eye for the choreography of sport. The figures are finely modelled, the palette lively but grounded, and the setting—with its wooded backdrop, animated crowd, and distant grandstands—suggests a major 19th-century race meeting, possibly the Epsom Derby, a subject Alken is known to have returned to in several formats. The composition’s panoramic sweep and low horizon lend a cinematic quality, while the density of detail—each silken cap and coat, each bridle and plume—evokes the pageantry and social theatre of Britain’s sporting calendar at the height of its Regency and early Victorian splendour. A rare and spirited scene from the golden age of English sporting painting...

George Weissbort (British, 1928–2013) Still Life of an Interior with Trunk and Drapery Oil on board, signed lower left Circa 1970 Presented in the original English oak frame This ri...

Samuel Raven (British, 19th Century) Setters Flushing Game in an Upland Landscape Oil on panel, circa 1830 Presented in a deeply moulded and carved giltwood frame of the period This...

Samuel Raven (British, 19th Century) Setters Flushing Game in an Upland Landscape Oil on panel, circa 1830 Presented in a deeply moulded and carved giltwood frame of the period This...

J. Charnock “Upper Airedale, Yorkshire” Oil on board, signed lower right English, circa 1890 Presented in a richly carved and gilded period frame This idyllic pastoral scene by the ...

Francis Edward Jamieson (British, 1890–1930s) View of an English River Landscape at Sunset Oil on canvas, signed lower right Presented in an ornate antique gilt frame, circa 1890 Th...

The former Curator of Oil Paintings at the National Maritime Museum, E H H Archibald, says of Joseph Heard in his Dictionary of Sea Painters in Europe and America that "…with Samuel Walters he must stand as the top-ranking Liverpool ship portraitist of the 19th century." He would have known the artist's work well as the National Maritime Museum has eleven paintings by Heard in its collection. Joseph Heard was born on 7th March 1799 in Egremont near Whitehaven in Cumberland. His father, also Joseph, was a saddler and it is believed that the aspirant painter received some artistic training from John Clementson who was a local portrait painter. Joseph had a brother Isaac who painted portraits. It is possible that Joseph came across the work of H Collins...